Alleged N400m Fraud: Metuh’s Ill-health Stalls Trial

The trial of former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, suffered a setback, Monday, due to ill-health of the defendant.
At the resumed trial Monday, lead counsel to the former PDP spokesman, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) drew the court’s attention to a letter from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi in Anambra State, concerning Metuh’s ill-health.
He said that Metuh is on admission at the hospital currently.
Ikpeazu then urged the court for an adjournment till today for Metuh to be present in court for his trial.
The prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, who did not oppose the request for adjournment in the matter, reminded the court of the judgment of the Supreme Court, in an interlocutory appeal by Metuh, which directed that the matter be heard expediously.
Metuh had failed in all his attempts to stop his trial, as the apex court had asked him to face his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in the N400m fraud charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
The former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) had, while testifying for Metuh, said he could not remember any of his transaction with him.
He told the court that he was incapacitated in giving accurate and correct evidence in respect of the N400m transaction because he had been kept in custody of the DSS for over two years.
Besides, he claimed that the alleged transaction took place three years and that he needed to consult with his record to enable him give correct evidence in the trial.
It was after Dasuki’s testimony that the former PDP spokesman prayed the court to subpoen former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court to testify for him.
The court granted the request and issued a suphoena notice on Jonathan since last year, but the former President is yet to appear in court to testify for Metuh, as he was yet to be served personally with the notice.
The registrar of he court informed the trial Judge, Justice Okon Abang that the court bailiff, Abah Peter had sworn to an affidavit of non service of the subpoena notice on former President Jonathan.
Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited are being prosecuted by the Federal Government for allegedly receiving the sum of N400 million from the former NSA and used same for political activities of the PDP in the 2015 general elections.